


Send my letter to the sky

by AngelOfDarkus



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Confessions, Edling Week, Kinda, Letters, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Post-Canon, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:42:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27124687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelOfDarkus/pseuds/AngelOfDarkus
Summary: Ed and Ling wrote many letters to each other over the years. Sometimes there was a more than a desert between them, sometimes there wasn't anything to separate them.foredling week 2020october 12:distance / reunion/ camping
Relationships: Edward Elric/Ling Yao
Comments: 7
Kudos: 41





	Send my letter to the sky

**Author's Note:**

> _Send my letter to the sky_  
>  _This correspondence between you and I_  
> 
> 
> title inspiration from [Love Letter by Seventeen](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpqtHwOPn50)

_[The first letters: ~8 months after the Promised Day]_

To: Edward and Alphonse

I hope you two find this letter in good health. It had been a long time since the Promised Day. 

I will be crowned soon. I wish you could be here as well. It's been lonelier than I expected, but full steam ahead right? haha.

By the way Al, Mei is fine. Don't worry about her. She's gone back to her clan for now. I will make her one of my trusted advisors soon. 

I cannot reveal much else as I do not know how safe the mail is or if this letter will even reach you. If it does, I hope you'll write back. Can't hurt to be close to the Emperor of Xing, right?

How have the two of you been? What are your new goals? I know you can't be sitting at home for long.

Signed,

Emperor (almost) Ling

~ ~ ~

To: Ling

Good, you're still alive. I don't know when this'll get to you but we're sending it a day after it arrived. It's XX-XX-XXXX. Advanced or belated congratulations on becoming emperor.

Al's been doing a lot of therapy for his atrophied muscles. I'm building strength in my right arm and hand again. It's also why I'm writing this letter. Still feels weird without automail.

Al says thanks for the update about Mei. You better take care of all the people, like you said you would. How's Lan Fan and her automail? She still can't overuse that arm. Winry told me to write that.

The quiet life is comforting. Life in Resembool has always been so different from East City and Central. It's a little unnerving though like something could go wrong at any moment. I think Al and I are both thinking the same thing but we're going to wait a while before making any major decisions.

From: Ed

P.S. of course we'd write back, idiot prince.

~ ~ ~

[IMPERIAL MAIL]

ED!!

This is the Emperor of Xing you're calling an idiot prince. I could have you arrested. 

But before you worry that the power has gone to my head, I have a large court that is very old fashioned and resistant to change. I have my work cut out for me. I've come to learn a lot about the inner workings of the palace. The corruption has reached quite deeply in some clans.

The murder attempts have lessened since I was officially crowned. Rumors spread too quickly and I was almost stabbed the night before my coronation. Lan Fan is in charge of my royal guard. She appreciates the concern about her arm. She says she'll take better care of it than you.

I'm glad to hear you two are recovering. Does that mean you'll have to keep writing me letters for practice? 

Are you planning to ever come to Xing? I'd like it if you visited my home one day.

Emperor Ling Yao

P.S. Mei is attaching a letter for Al

~ ~ ~

Dear "Emperor"

You'll always be my idiot prince. 

Tell the people the truth about what you think and what you want to do. You're probably not alone in your thinking either. Don't let old men dictate everything you do. Manipulative assholes are everywhere.

You're still facing assassination attempts? That royal guard better be the best damn guard ever. You can't die any time soon.

Can't say anything about traveling that far yet. Maybe one day. Al wrote Mei almost three full pages. I don't know what else to write. I'm sure your life is more interesting than mine right now.

From: Ed (a commoner)

* * *

_[2 years later]_

Dear Ed,

I'm so happy to hear that you're finally visiting. I missed you. And Al. I missed both of you. You'll be staying in the most comfortable arrangements, within the Palace! Mei also lives here now. Preparations and planning for your arrival have started today. This will be the experience of a lifetime, I assure you. 

There's much else I want to say but I'll be patient to tell you everything else in person. Stay safe!

Eagerly waiting for you,

Ling

* * *

_[3 months after the previous letter]_

Dear Ed,

I know you probably just arrived back in Amestris, but I was too cowardly to say anything. Please read this letter all the way through.

Remember when I told the council I didn't even want one wife? I think I understand why now.

You've always been important to me. You're someone I could trust with my life and that hasn't changed. Seeing you again after so long, it really affected me. It's been haunting me day and night but I cannot get you out of my mind. 

More specifically I can't get rid of the idea that I may have fallen for you. Keeping in touch was only the beginning. Now that I've seen you around and about the Palace, it has gotten so much clearer. I miss your laugh, and sparring with you, and going places with you. The palace feels strangely empty now.

I think I'm in love with you.

Sincerely,

Ling

~ ~ ~

Ling, 

I thought I was projecting my feelings onto you this entire trip and you choose to tell me in a letter after I already left? I can't believe you.

I don't know when I'll be able to come see you again so I'm only writing this once. I may also be in love with you. I don't know where we'll go from here or how this is going to work, but I'm willing to try. Not knowing how to do something never stopped me before. 

In the meantime, we can set up times to call? You can try sending a telegram too. I think I'll be in East City for a while.

Will you ever take a trip to Amestris again? Can you even do that? 

Yours,

Ed

  
  


P.S. I KNEW IT ALL ALONG - Alphonse

* * *

_[Present: 5 years after the previous letters]_

Ling,

Today, I met a family with twin sons. They had reddish hair and eyes that were darker than yours. It almost reminded me of my childhood, but their father was too much like Lt. Hughes. It hurt a little to see. Their mother was quite skilled in alchemy so I learned what I could from her. I have a lot of notes and some sketches that I have to share with Al. I think I'm done gathering data for now.

How is the new project you started? Have you been able to muster the support of the people like you wanted? Even if they refuse you, keep going. It's too important to give up on.

I should arrive in Resembool in about two weeks. Then I'll stay there for about a week before I leave to see you. I know it's longer than I said before, but Granny said if I don't visit for longer than 4 days, she'll steal my leg. It's been a while since I saw her and Winry. And I should get my leg checked out before I try to cross the desert again, even if I'll be on the train. 

I'll see you soon. Don't miss me too much.

I love you,

Ed

~ ~ ~

My beautiful Ed,

I miss you terribly and I love you immensely.

I'm glad you got the research you needed. I hope you enjoy your time in Resembool. Say hi to Granny, Winry, and Den for me. Even though I never met Lt. Hughes but I know he'd be proud of you. Your father too. I think I saw him in a dream a few nights ago. The two of you were talking around a campfire. I don't remember any more than that. Do you dream of me?

The project is coming along better than I thought. Mei's family gathered support amongst some of the lower clans I didn't know too well. It helped almost everyone get on board so it's in the works. By the time you get here, there might be something to actually look at!

Speaking of, Mei doesn't hesitate to tell me that I look like a bride waiting for her husband to come back. Even Al said I look forlorn, like a lovesick puppy. Those two are always conspiring against me! I think they may have something to tell you when you get here.

I need to feel you in my arms again. Prepare for never being let go when I see you again.

The man to whom you fed a shoe and then fell in love with,

Ling

* * *

Ed sees the familiar sight of the Rockbell house come into view and he feels himself relax. It's around noon and the sky is bright blue with only a few clouds in sight. Memories of walking down this same path hit him. The countless times he walked down the as a child with Al and Winry, then again with Al as a suit of armor, and finally the first time after Al got his body back. After the Promised Day when everything changed. He smiles, melancholy. 

He reaches the door and knocks. Winry opens the door, eyes widening.

"Hi," he says.

"Welcome back! You're late," She greets, but she's smiling and lets him in. "He's finally here!"

Ed drops his bag and takes off his coat to hang it on the coat rack. He walks into the kitchen, following the delicious aroma of home-cooked food. He barely has a moment to register the person sitting at the table when said person jumps out of his seat and right at him.

"Ling!" Ed almost loses his balance but manages to steady himself.

"Ed, I missed you so much!" Ling wraps his arms around Ed. Ling smells like jasmine and the familiar scent washes over Ed.

"Why are you here?" he replies shocked at the sight of the Emperor of Xing in front of him.

"I wanted to see you as soon as possible. We can travel back together." Ling squeezes him tightly.

Winry stands in the kitchen with a teasing grin on her face, "Mr. Emperor over here arrived yesterday without any prior warning. I thought it was gonna be you, imagine our surprise?"

Pinako enters the room and Ling lets go quickly. "We expected you yesterday, Ed," she says.

"Sorry about that Granny, I decided to visit people in Central and I ended up staying the night there," He explains, letting himself be pulled by Ling to the table.

"You should've called to let us know," Pinako chastises him.

"Ah, I always forget to call," Ed replies sheepishly.

Pinako shakes her head and pours him stew. She and Winry sit at the table with them.

"Did you come here alone?" Ed asks Ling.

"Of course not! Lan Fan came with me."

"I looked at her automail earlier and told her to rest. She needed a lot of fine-tuning," Winry adds in.

"Automail in Xing isn't quite this complex," Ling explains.

"Still, she's almost as bad as you at taking care of it," Winry says to Ed.

"Shh, I just got here and you're already complaining about me." He says good-naturedly. "So what has Ling been doing around here?"

"I've been making use of him to rearrange my workshop and for general housekeeping," Pinako explains.

"I rarely have people boss me around. It's kinda fun to do this work like this." Ling says cheerfully. Ed grins at that.

Lan Fan arrives as he's talking and greets them. "Welcome back," she says to Ed.

"Thank you. Glad to be back." 

Ed and Lan Fan had come to an agreement when he and Ling had first sorted out their feelings. Lan Fan made it known that Ed would be at her mercy if he ever hurt Ling. Ed didn't have any objections to that.

After lunch, Ed decides to take a shower and change. He wants nothing more than to take a nap and the warm shower and full stomach only serve to make him drowsier. He enters the room he usually shares with Al to find Ling sitting at the desk.

"I can't believe you left your country to come here," Ed says.

"I told you, I really missed you. Then you wrote in your letter that you were going to be here and I just had to see you." Ling looks up at him with almost pleading eyes.

Ed smiles at the sight of his pouty lower lip. "I missed you too." He sees his bag was already on top of the dresser and moves to unpack. But before he can, two arms wrap around his stomach, and Ling rests his head on Ed's left shoulder.

"I said I wouldn't let you go, remember?" He says quietly.

"Then don't," Ed replies with a soft laugh. "But let me unpack first?"

Ling reluctantly lets go and watches Ed place a few things in the wardrobe and a stack of notes in the drawer in the nightstand from the bed. Then Ed plops into bed right on top of him. Ling quickly wraps his arms around him again.

"I waited too long to hold you again," Ling sighs.

Ed presses a kiss to his forehead. "It feels unreal to me. I saw so many different places and here I am finally back to the one place I can never forget."

"Our room is too big for me alone. Even the palace feels too big." Ling's grip on him tightens a bit, then loosens again. "Even if you're busy doing your own things, I like knowing that you're close by."

"It was difficult for me too," Ed admits. "I had so many leads I felt I could lose if I didn't follow them. But I don't regret it."

"I'm glad it was worth it. Have enough to work with?"

"Yeah. No more long journeys for a while."

At that, Ling cups his face and pulls him down into a long kiss. They lay there together and in between delicate kisses Ed drifts off to sleep. Ling watches him constantly. His home had finally returned to him.

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to try writing something a little different but it still ended up being cheesy lol
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
